The present invention relates to an automated system for accessing and retrieving speech-based information through telephone links using specialized voice recognition software and hardware.
For a number of years, many businesses have employed telephone accessible automated information systems which provide callers with recorded speech-based information without operator interaction. For example, most banks provide such information systems for providing account related information to customers, merchants, etc. A customer may access a bank's information system, and by entering menu selections, account numbers, etc., through actuation of the telephone's buttons or keys, access various account related information, such as balance, checks paid, and deposits, for example. Similarly, a merchant who has been tendered a check by a customer, may employ the bank's information system to determine whether sufficient funds are available to cover the check.
These systems work fine for individual customers, or merchants having only one or a few transactions to verify. However, for large scale merchants (e.g., mail order houses, direct marketers, etc.) having hundreds or even thousands of banking transactions to verify, these systems are very time consuming and costly to employ. In particular, for each transaction, a human operator must telephone the bank information system, listen to the menu and other queries, enter the requested information, and then record the answer to their inquiry. Considering the fact that each transaction may take a number of minutes to verify, a large scale merchant may have to employ a number of individuals whose full time job is to call bank information systems, and verify transactions.
Telephone companies also employ automated information systems to inform callers if a number they have dialed has been changed or disconnected. These systems are very useful because they provide updated information that may not otherwise be available to the callers. Once again, however, if the status of a large list of telephone numbers is to be checked, human operators are required to perform the time consuming task of calling each of the numbers, and recording the status information for each one.
A need for checking the status of lists of telephone numbers has recently developed, particularly in the telemarketing industry, because of the recent huge growth in telephone number assignments resulting from the ever increasing demand for dedicated numbers for computers, fax machines, cellular phones, pagers, etc. To accommodate the increased demand, while still employing the present 10 digit number system, the telephone companies have been forced to change subscriber's area codes and even entire telephone numbers in some instances. As a result, the telephone number lists employed by telemarketers quickly become outdated such that a large number (e.g.,10-20%) of all calls placed by the telemarketer's representatives are answered with a recorded message that the number has either been changed, or is no longer in service. Obviously, this results in much of the representative's time being wasted. As a result, a need has been created for a means by which the telephone numbers on the lists can be screened to determine which of the numbers generate a call intercept when dialed indicating that the number has either been changed or disconnected so that the representatives need not spend time either dialing these numbers or listening to the call intercept messages.
In view of the foregoing, a need therefore exists for an automated system which can access speech-based information systems over conventional telephone links, recognize the words "spoken" by the information systems, and convert the information to a computerized form.